

Ballina Coastal Path along the Aboriginal Cultural Ways in Byron Bay, North Coast Ballina Coastal Path - Credit: Ben Wyeth - Ballina Shire Council
From rock paintings to significant sites, museums to cultural centres, NSW offers boundless opportunities to experience the world’s oldest continuous living culture. And don’t expect any two experiences to be the same, as each Aboriginal nation or clan group across the state has their own customs, language and culture.
Explore ancient rock engravings on the Sandstone Caves walking track in Pilliga National Park. You can take a self-guided walk or join an Aboriginal Discovery ranger, who will share insights into the rock art along the walk.
Mutawintji National Park, northeast of Broken Hill, is home to magnificent examples of Aboriginal rock art. While some rock art sites – such as Wright’s Cave - are accessible to all, visit the restricted Mutawintji Historic Site on a guided tour with Mutawintji Eco Tours.
Join Aboriginal rangers on a discovery tour of Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve, off Coffs Harbour. The island is sacred to the local Aboriginal people, and was a ceremonial site. Or take an Aboriginal Blue Mountains Walkabout in the stunning World Heritage area. Here you’ll visit indigenous cultural sites along an ancient Songline, a path made during the Dreamtime.
There are a number of other trails across NSW where you can follow Songlines and walk in the footsteps of the local indigenous people. The Aboriginal Cultural Ways trail in Ballina hugs the coastline and has 22 panels outlining cultural stories, history, language and more from the community. The Bingi Dreaming Track in Eurobodalla passes campsites, ceremonial and trading sites, and sources of fresh water and food.
Mungo National Park is in the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area. The lunette-shaped landscape in far southwest of NSW is rich in Aboriginal history, including evidence of human life dating back 60,000 years. Join an Aboriginal Discovery tour to learn about the ancestral remains of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, and how a culture was able to survive in the face of extreme climate change.
The Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre at South Tweed Heads is located within the Tweed Heads historic site. Visit the centre’s museum, explore the natural surroundings and see an authentic bora ring – a sacred ceremonial site. The Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Corinda Beach holds exhibitions, weaving workshops and bush tucker tastings. The Back
One way to experience the extraordinary diversity and significance of Aboriginal art is in regional public art galleries, such as the Wollongong Art Gallery and the Moree Plains Gallery. The Bank Art Museum Moree has one of the most extensive Aboriginal collections in regional NSW.
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